470.    ---------------.[CHAPMAN, O. L.]  Synthetic Liquid Fuels.  1950 Annual Report of the Secretary of the Interior.  I.  Oil From Coal.  II.  Oil From Oil Shale.  III.  Liquid Fuels From Agricultural Residues.  IV.  Oil From Secondary Recovery and Refining.  Bureau of Mines Repts. of Investigations 4770, 4771, 4772, 4773, February 1951, pp. i-xiv, 1-74, 1-88, 1-12, 1-16.

                 Review of operations during 1950 of the synthetic liquid fuels laboratories and demonstration plants.  Progress in the oil-shale development program reveals the commercial feasibility of these operations, and it is believed that gasoline and oil can be produced from shale at costs that compete favorably with those for petroleum products.  The estimated cost of delivering raw shale to the retorting plant, exclusive of depletion, interest, and profits, is $0.426/ton or $0.015/gal. of shale oil.  The retorting process has been improved as to both method and cost by the development of the gas-combustion retort.  New experience has been gained in the operation of the coal-hydrogenation demonstration plant.  Costs are being reestimated and will be reported on completion.  It appears that the cost of producing gasoline from coal is somewhat greater than it is from shale.  The potentialities of he production of aromatic chemicals, such as benzene and phenols, are being investigated.  The great flexibility in the operation of coal-hydrogenation plants to produce different grades and types of fuels is of great strategic advantage.  The construction of one or more commercial plants is also recommended.  The gas-synthesis process for the production of synthetic liquid fuels from coal by way of synthesis gas (CO+H₂) is to be placed in operation at the demonstration plant at Louisiana, Mo.  Studies of this process are not as far advanced as those for coal hydrogenation or oil shale.  The greatest attention is being given to the completion of a method for the production of synthesis gas by gasifying pulverized coal in the presence of steam and O₂ under pressure of 450 p.s.i.  The studies have indicated that it should reduce considerably the cost of synthesis gas.  Commercialization of the gas-synthesis process awaits completion of the present studies and results of the demonstration work.  Other projects under investigation are:  Vortex reactor for coal gasification, underground gasification, purification of synthesis gas, and the Oxo process.